The Life And Letters Of Charles Darwin »

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This is an OCR edition with typos.
Excerpt from book:
CHAPTER II. The ' Origin Of Species '—(continued). 1860. [I Extract a few entries from my father's Diary : — " Jan. 7th. The second edition, 3000 copies, of ' Origin ' was published." '' May 2 znd. The first edition of ' Origin ' in the United States was 2500 copies." My father has here noted down the sums received for the 'Origin.' First Edition .. .. .. 180 o o Second Edition .. .. .. 636 13 4 After the publication of the second edition he began at once, on Jan. 9th, looking over his materials for the ' Variation of Animals and Plants ; ' the only other work of the year was on Drosera. He was at Down during the whole of this year, except for a visit to Dr. Lane's Water-cure Establishment at Sudbrooke, in June, and for visits to Miss Elizabeth Wedgwood's house at Hartfield, in Sussex (July), and to Eastbourne, Sept. 22 to Nov. 1 6.] C. Darwin to J. D. Hooker. Down, January 3rd [1860]. My Dear Hooker, — I have finished your Essay. As probably you would like to hear my opinion, though a non- ' Australian Flora." botanist, I will give it without any exaggeration. To my judgment it is by far the grandest and most interesting essay, on subjects of the nature discussed, I have ever read. You know how I admired your former essays, but this seems to me far grander. I like all the part after p. xxvi better than the first part, probably because newer to me. I dare say you Will demur to this, for I think every author likes the most speculative parts of his own productions. Howsuperior your essay is to the famous one of Brown (here will be sneer 1st from you). You have made all your conclusions so admirably clear, that it would be no use at all to be a botanist (sneer No. 2). By Jove, it would do harm to affix any idea to the long names of outland...